The Seagate Exos 4U100 and 4U74 are 4U SAS-4 JBOD enclosures for dense, expandable storage. The 4U100 holds 100 3.5-inch drives and is the density-first option; the 4U74 holds 74 and has a shorter, lighter chassis. Seagate specifies up to 3.2PB per enclosure for either model, but that is a maximum capacity figure—not guaranteed usable space.
Seagate Exos 4U100 vs 4U74: the key differences
| Specification | Exos 4U100 | Exos 4U74 |
|---|---|---|
| Drive bays | 100 × 3.5-inch | 74 × 3.5-inch |
| Maximum capacity per enclosure | Up to 3.2PB | Up to 3.2PB |
| Dimensions (H × W × D) | 175.5 × 448.5 × 1,146mm | 175.5 × 448.5 × 932mm |
| Weight without drives | 59.9kg | 49.9kg |
| Weight with drives | 125.6kg | 98.9kg |
Figures are from Seagate’s 2025 datasheet. The 3.2PB figure is Seagate’s stated maximum per enclosure; formatting and system overhead reduce addressable capacity. The datasheet does not make that number a guarantee of usable capacity for every drive configuration.
Which model should you choose?
- Choose the 4U100 when maximizing drive count and storage density per enclosure matters most, and your rack depth, floor loading, and service access can accommodate its larger chassis.
- Choose the 4U74 when the shorter 932mm chassis or its lower populated weight is a better fit for the rack or deployment site, and 74 bays are sufficient.
Both are 4U high. Seagate lists 1m and 1.2m rack options; confirm the rack configuration and clearance required for the specific enclosure and deployment rather than treating chassis depth as the only space requirement.
Drive capacity, media compatibility and workload fit
How many drives fit, and what is the maximum capacity?
The 4U100 has 100 3.5-inch bays; the 4U74 has 74. Seagate specifies up to 3.2PB per enclosure for both, with actual addressable capacity depending on the installed drives and system overhead. The 2025 datasheet also identifies support for SAS and SATA drives and up to 26 SSDs; confirm the supported drive models and permitted mix for the configuration you intend to order.
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#1 Best Overall
- High-Reliability Drive for servers, storage systems, and business-centric NAS systems
- Performance-Optimized for heavy application usage, supports workloads of up to 550TB per year—10× that of desktop hard drives
- Designed for 24×7 storage environments and backed by a 2 million hour MTBF rating
- Seagate Enterprise drives are built on 40 years of enterprise workload knowledge and experience
Can the 4U100 use SATA drives?
Yes. Seagate specifies 12Gb/s SAS and 6Gb/s SATA drive interfaces, and says the enclosures accept SAS or SATA drives. That does not establish that every drive model is qualified: request Seagate’s current supported-drive list for your chosen firmware and configuration.
Is either enclosure suitable for AI storage?
Seagate positions the 4U100 for petabyte-scale AI/ML workflows such as frequent model checkpointing, long-term retention, continuous data ingestion, and real-time edge analytics. These are vendor-stated target uses, not independently verified performance results. The enclosures are JBOD systems, so assess them as storage expansion for a host and software stack—not as a complete AI storage platform. Throughput and latency depend on the drives, host controllers, cabling, workload, and the rest of the storage architecture; the cited product material does not establish an independent workload benchmark.
Rank #2
- Enterprise-Grade Performance – 7200 RPM and 128MB cache ensure high-speed data access and reliable performance for server and NAS environments.
- Massive 4TB Capacity – Store up to 4TB of critical data with confidence and scalability for future expansion.
- Seagate Exos Reliability – Built with robust components for 24/7 operation and up to 2 million hours MTBF for peace of mind.
- SATA 6Gb/s Interface – Optimized for compatibility and seamless integration with modern systems and storage arrays.
- Power-Efficient Design – Advanced power management features help reduce operational costs in high-capacity deployments.
Seagate also names data consolidation and infrastructure refresh, hybrid-cloud repatriation and tiered storage, edge aggregation, compliance-oriented deployments, managed-service scaling, and modular expansion as deployment targets.
Connectivity and management
Each enclosure has dual redundant I/O modules (IOMs), with four Mini-SAS HD ports per IOM. Seagate lists host-side SAS speeds of 24, 12, or 6Gb/s, alongside 12Gb/s SAS and 6Gb/s SATA drive interfaces. The listed link rates are interface specifications, not a promise of application throughput.
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- [ Enterprise-Grade Storage ] The Seagate 4TB ST4000NM0115 is designed for data centers, enterprise servers, and high-performance storage systems, ensuring reliable and scalable storage solutions.
- [ High-Speed Performance ] Features a 7,200 RPM spindle speed, SATA 6Gb/s interface, and a large cache buffer, delivering fast and consistent data transfers.
- [ 24/7 Reliability ] Engineered for continuous operation, this hard drive is built to handle mission-critical workloads with high durability and low failure rates.
- [ Advanced Data Protection ] Equipped with Seagate Secure technology, RAID Rebuild, and Error Correction Code (ECC) to safeguard data and reduce downtime.
- [ Optimized for Multi-Drive Environments ] Supports RAID configurations and multi-bay NAS systems, making it an excellent choice for business-critical applications and storage expansion.
For management, Seagate specifies in-band SES plus out-of-band Redfish API and SSH command-line access. These interfaces support enclosure monitoring and operations; the host environment and management network still need to be configured to use them.
Power, cooling and environmental requirements
The specification lists dual 1,800W power-supply units, 80 PLUS Titanium efficiency, four dual-impeller enclosure fans, front-to-rear airflow, and 200–240VAC input. A 1,800W PSU rating is not the enclosure’s measured or typical power draw. The supplied product specifications do not state a single operating-draw figure, so facilities teams should obtain a configuration-specific power and heat estimate from Seagate before sizing circuits, UPS capacity, or cooling.
Rank #4
- Here are the 5 bullets for the ST10000NM0126: 10TB High-Capacity Enterprise Storage — Seagate Exos X10 designed for hyperscale data centers, massive scale-out deployments, high-density RAID arrays, distributed file systems including Hadoop and Ceph, and enterprise backup and restore environments
- SATA 6Gb/s Interface | 7,200 RPM | 249 MB/s Sustained Transfer — Broad SATA compatibility for seamless integration into Dell PowerEdge, HPE ProLiant, Supermicro, and other enterprise server platforms without additional hardware
- Helium-Sealed Design | 512e Sector Format | 256MB Cache — Helium-sealed enclosure reduces power consumption and weight; 512e format ensures broad compatibility with modern storage controllers and enterprise infrastructure
- Enterprise Reliability Features | Digital Environmental Sensors — Advanced error correction, intelligent power management technologies, and onboard sensors monitoring internal humidity, pressure, and temperature for optimized performance and reliability in high-density storage deployments.
- 2.5 Million Hour MTBF | 550TB/Year Workload Rating — Rated for continuous 24/7 operation with enterprise-grade reliability for mission-critical storage deployments requiring maximum uptime
Seagate claims up to 30% lower power consumption and 70% improved cooling efficiency versus previous generations. Those are Seagate comparative claims; the published figures cited here do not include an independent test protocol for comparing real-world operating conditions.
The stated environmental envelope is ASHRAE A2 at 10–35°C, with A3 compliance under specified conditions, and an operating altitude range of −100m to 3,000m. Because A3 compliance is conditional, confirm the exact temperature and configuration limits applicable to your installation.
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Best Value
- 26TB ultra-high capacity for large-scale storage
- 7,200 RPM for sustained enterprise workloads
- SATA 6Gb/s interface for wide system compatibility
- Enterprise-class reliability for continuous operation
- High workload rating for data-intensive applications
Service access, security and deployment checks
Serviceability
Drives, IOMs, PSUs, fans, and link-expansion modules are specified as hot-swappable. Seagate also describes toolless access and drawer-style servicing. Check that the rack layout leaves the access and working clearance your maintenance plan requires, particularly for a populated 4U100 weighing 125.6kg.
Security and regulated environments
Seagate’s launch description identifies secure boot, and the product material documents a Seagate Secure component certificate alongside SES and Redfish management. Seagate positions the systems for air-gapped and sovereign-data deployments, but that positioning alone does not establish compliance with a particular regulation or security policy. Before a regulated installation, confirm the exact security configuration, supported firmware, drive qualification list, and operational controls with Seagate.
Pre-deployment checklist
- Verify rack depth, rack option, rail support, door clearance, and service access against the exact chassis configuration.
- Confirm populated weight, rack loading, and the handling plan for installation and servicing.
- Have facilities staff validate 200–240VAC availability, circuit and UPS sizing, airflow direction, and cooling capacity using a configuration-specific power estimate.
- Confirm drive models, SAS/SATA mix, SSD limits, firmware, host connectivity, and management-network requirements with the supplier.
Availability and purchasing
Seagate’s 12 November 2025 launch release said the 4U100 and 4U74 would be available through authorized channel partners worldwide in the following quarter. That announcement does not establish current regional stock, price, lead time, warranty terms, or a current supported-drive matrix. For a purchase, request a current configuration and quote from Seagate or an authorized partner, including the drive list, rack fit, power estimate, firmware, and delivery terms.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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